I've been an obsessive cat person for years, so going to see CATS
has been an ambition of mine for a while now :) Being in Australia,
I jumped at the chance to see the show once I heard it was touring
here. I've never even seen the video, so this was a first for me!
This production is called CATS: Runaway To The Circus,
(www.catsrunaway.com.au if you want more info) so called
because it's performed under a bigtop. The first tent was decorated
like a circus scene, and then you moved into the actual theatre
part. The theatre isn't very large, so even those up the back aren't
too far away from the stage, which made the performance very
intimate. We (myself and my fiance) were thrilled that our seats
were in the second row, and seeing as the front row was right up
against the stage, we were VERY close to the action!
Right near where we were sitting was a big pipe that the performers
scurried in and out of, and there were catwalks (no pun intended)
leading out into the audience, and we were right next to one.
Whenever the cast left the stage, some of them would go dashing
up the catwalks and disappear into the audience.
The junkyard has a distinct Australian flavour, with Aussie brand
beer bottles, food containers and the like incorporated into the front
of the stage. There was a huge license plate in the middle of the
junk onstage. Being in Queensland, it read "QLD 01", but I think
they change it depending on which state they are performing in,
which I thought was a nice touch!
Being so close, I could actually see the performers' faces up close.
Sometimes it was actually kind of creepy when they'd stare at
you, and talk right to you, especially during items like The Naming
Of Cats. You felt a real connection with the characters, which
really drew you into the emotion of the show.
Being in the bigtop allowed them to incorporate some trapeze acts
into the show. They would swing out over the stage, hanging
upside down. There was a rope draped high across the stage
which one cat swung from. He wrapped it around his legs so he
could stand up straight and swing back and forth. You'd never
catch me up there!
Rum Tum Tugger was a real crowd pleaser, dancing with one lady,
and girating in an Elvis like fashion whenever he had a big number.
Seeing all the female cats swoon over him was adorable! When he
began singing Mr Mistoffilees, he walked to the front of the stage
and the positioning of the lights meant that an enormous shadow of
him showed up against the backdrop with the moon. Being so
close to the stage, this effect looked incredibly spectacular! Near
the end of the show, Rum Tum Tugger got the audience clapping
along. That's one of the amazing things about CATS, that the
audience can get so involved with the show!
The whole performance was breathtaking, magical and inspiring. I
almost cried in the last verse of Memory, so that should give you
an idea of how incredible the cast were! It was far more magical
than I had ever imagined!! :)
- Joann